Improvement in thill-couplings



L. HARRIS. Thin-Coupling No. 213,416 Patented Mar. 18,1879.

WITNESSES VENTOR Wm; .WM ATTORNEY I "Jr-Erika PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. wnsnmarcn D c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI HARRIS, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT lN THILL-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 213,416, dated March 18, 1879; application filed February 10, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEVI HARRIS, of Kalamazoo, in the county of Kalamazoo and State of Michigan, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Thin-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a perspective view of the shackle. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rotary hook. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the thill-hook. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of the parts connected.

This invention has relation to thill-couplin gs; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of the shackle, the revolving hook journaled therein, and the hooked end of a thill having a sliding connection with said revolving hook, and working against a packing of rubber or other material sealed in a recess in said shackle, all as hereinafter shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the shackle, consisting of a partition-body, at, having in rear a horizontal extension, I), terminating in an ofl'set or lip, c, on its upper side, forming a seat or chair for the axle, and in front the parallel vertical ears or extensions 11, between which the end of the thill is received.

In the rear face of the partition a is a groove, e, which terminates below in a hole,g, through the plate, and serves to receive the front branch of the clip whereby the shackle is attached to the axle, the rear branch passing through an aperture, g, in the offset 0. In the front of this partition is formed a recess, h, for the reception of a packing, Ir, of rubber or other suitable substance.

The cars or extensions (1 are perforated for the passage of the pivot-bolt Z, whereby the revolving hook B is connected between said extensions. This hook consists of an elongated plate, having on its under side a hollow rib or lug, m, through which the pivot-bolt passes, being secured on the outside of one of the plates by a nut.

The rear end of the hook-plate is fashioned into a tongue, a, while the other end is provided with a reverse flange, u, on its upper side, parallel with the body of the plate, and forming a hook.

To the end of the thill is attached, by suitable straps and bolts, the thill-hook G, which extends in a transverse direction with reference to the thill end, and is provided with a tongue, n, and a similar and under flange or hook, a, similar to those of the revolving hook-plate, and connecting therewith by a sliding movement, forming a double lock.

The exterior of the rear or book end of the thill-hook is rounded, as indicated at t, to form a bearing, which works against the packing in the rear of the shackle, the sliding nature of the connection between the revolving hook and the thill-hook allowing the latter to work against this packing freely, while the abutment formed by the shackle-partition in which the packing is seated prevents the hooklock from becoming disconnected.

When it is desired to disconnect the thills they are depressed until the rear ends of the thill-hooks rise above the shackle-plate, when these hooks can, by a backward and upward movement, he slid out of connection with the revolving hooks, and the thills removed.

1 am aware that a thill-hook has been connected with a rotary shackle bearing, said hook extending around the same above and below the pivot-joint and I do not claim such invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A thill-coupling, consisting of a shackle, having in rear, between the supporting-ears, a packing, a revolving hook, connected to said cars by an under pivot, and a thill-hook, connecting with said revolving hook entirely above its pivot by a sliding movement and having a rear bearing against said packing, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the thill-hook 0, having at opposite ends a tongue and hook, of the pivoted shackle hook B, having at its ends a hook and tongue, respectively, engaging by a sliding movement with the tongue and hook of the thill-hook, and forming a double lock, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses: LEVI HARRIS.

HENRY O. BRIGGS, L. F. H. FINNEY. 

